Secretary of State makes trip to Egypt, Israel

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently returned from a trip to the… (FPG file photo )

July 25, 2012|By Shani McManus, Florida Jewish Journal

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently returned from what may likely to be her last official trip to Israel. Clinton has said she would leave the cabinet post, even if President Obama is re-elected.

The visit to Israel followed a somewhat shaky stop in Egypt where Clinton was occasionally booed.

In Israel Clinton met with Israeli leaders and discussed the escalating violence in Syria, the situation in Egypt and Palestine and Iran's nuclear program. Clinton also reaffirmed U.S. ties with Israel.

"We're living in a time of unprecedented change with a lot of challenges for us both," Clinton said after receiving a warm welcome from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"We will continue to consult closely, as we have on an almost daily basis between our two governments, to chart the best way forward for peace and stability for Israel, the United States, the region and the world," she said.

In her meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Clinton said it was "a chance to advance our shared goal of security, stability, peace and democracy, along with prosperity for the millions of people in this region who have yet to see a better future."

Clinton also delivered a personal greeting to Peres.

"I want to take the opportunity to wish you a happy birthday," she said. "I know I'm a little early, but that means I can be the first friend to wish you a very happy birthday."

At a July 16 press conference in Jerusalem, Clinton talked about her trip to Egypt and her meeting with the country's new president.

"The United States and the international community look to the new leaders of Egypt to play a constructive role in advancing regional peace and security — in particular by upholding their international agreements, including the peace treaty with Israel," she said.

Some South Florida Jewish organization leaders were disappointed by Clinton's trip and believe the trip didn't accomplish enough.

"Secretary of State Clinton remained silent at a joint press conference in Cairo with the Egyptian Foreign Minister when he stated that Egypt would only uphold the Camp David Peace Accords if Israel returns to its 1967 borders and gives Palestinians the right to the land as their state with Jerusalem as their capital," Carol Flatto, chairman of the South Florida chapter of Americans For a Safe Israel said.

"The U.S. should withhold the billions in aid until the Egyptian government agrees to uphold the original peace treaty and recognizes Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state," Flatto noted. "The fact that Clinton was jeered by the Egyptians during her visit shows the pointlessness of bonding with the Muslim Brotherhood.

"Secretary of State Clinton pressured Prime Minister Netanyahu to not take military action against Iran," she said. "Clinton's Middle Eastern tour is ostensibly to prevent an outbreak of war, but the real fear is of the economic impact that a war would have on the U.S. economy so close to elections."

"Secretary of State Clinton's recent trip to the Middle East and Israel was a disaster by any measure. She stood silent as Egypt's new Muslim Brotherhood president threatened the peace treaty with Israel, and then demanded Israel not take any military action to defend itself from the Iranian nuclear threat," Sabag said.

"Then she announced that Jonathan Pollard would be left to die in jail, right before demanding that Israel free more terrorist murderers as a gesture to the Palestinian-Arabs," he noted. "Hopefully, the American-Jewish community understands that Israel's future is at stake and are paying close attention."